Level | Item |
Ref No | OHP/54 |
Title | Manchester production reunion |
Date | 7 October 2002 |
Extent | 1 minidisc, 1 cd, 5 AIFF files (521.9 MB) |
Creator Name | Plommer; Leslie (1949-); journalist |
Description | Recorded by Leslie Plommer. Conducted on 7 October 2002 in Manchester. Former printing and production staff discuss their jobs.
Disc 1: Track 1 00.25 Introduces Diana Towers and Jaki Howes 00.50 Newspaper move to from Cross Street to offices in nearby Deansgate 01.00 Towers began work for the Guardian in 1962 as secretary to Stanley Whitaker 01.15 Following his death she began work for advertising director, Arthur George, who also died shortly after 02.00 Appointed to work for Andy Harvey 02.30 Howes had studied architecture. Prepared newspaper building for her thesis which impressed the Guardian 03.00 Asked to join the newspaper c1969 03.35 Trouble with architects. She spoke to people and prepared layouts for the newspaper 04.15 Howes stayed for two years, buying furniture and organising new offices at Deansgate
Track 2 00.00 Continued discussion of move 00.45 Needs of the journalists 01.00 Poor behaviour of the journalists 01.30 Practical jokes 03.00 Fun at work 03.35 Age of the miniskirt. Female employers not allowed to wear trousers 03.55 Asked permission to wear trousers 04.30 Moved into new offices over one weekend 04.45 Everyone pitching in effort. The Scott family buying sandwiches for workers during the move 05.00 Flirting with labourers 06.30 Cross Street coffin. Mock funeral
Track 3 00.00 Male interviewee discusses typeface on the newspaper
Track 4 00.45 Asks Frank when he joined the newspaper. Frank joined the Guardian in 1946 01.14 Arthur Rigby, overseer in production department 01.35 Frank's role as lino type writer before becoming head printer 03.30 Keen to 'move up' in the newspaper 04.00 Appyling for jobs at the Manchester Guardian and the Manchester Evening News 06.55 Death of head printer who had promised him his job on retirement 08.00 Remembers Peter Japp, copy boy 09.15 Role of head printer
14.00 Making up newspapers
Track 5 00.30 Beginning of speech about Martin Scott 01.20 Continuation of speech 02.00 Legacy of CP Scott maintained through Scott Trust 02.50 Speaking up for Manchester. An important part of the newspapers history 03.45 Reunion. Attempts to group together former production employees 05.50 Ian Ashcroft begins speech about how the company has changed over last 30 years 07.00 Physical changes. Less people in production 07.15 Increased use of technology 08.05 Yet the fundamentals do not change. Tools of trade have changed, but the skills of journalists and photographers remain much the same
10.35 Now a London-based company, rather than Manchester-based 11.00 Family feel of the newspaper 13.18 Change of speaker. Unidentified 13.55 Newspaper losing touch with retired employees 15.35 History of the Guardian being captured by the GNM archive 15.55 Request for interviewees for oral history project 16.40 Celebration of the past 16.55 Memories of 1966 at the Guardian 17.20 Playing bowls at the newspaper 17.30 Remembers the atmosphere at the newspaper when man first walked on the moon in 1969 18.38 Remembers Jack Williams
18.55 Move to Deansgate 19.50 Birt Tench a practical joker
20.00 April fools day practical joke |
Access Status | Open |
Access Conditions | Access to recording via GNM Digital Repository |
Format | Printed document |
CD recording |
Minidisc recording |
Copyright | Guardian News & Media Ltd |
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